Hungarian politicians may have been among those who received funds from Moscow to spread pro-Russian propaganda in EU

The Czech intelligence service has uncovered a propaganda network through which Moscow may have funded Hungarian, German, Belgian, French, Dutch and Polish politicians to spread pro-Russian propaganda in the EU, Hvg.hu has reported, citing the German Der Spiegel and the Czech newspaper Deník N. The money was spent on financing campaigns for the upcoming European Parliamentary elections.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told journalists on Wednesday that the pro-Russian network was spreading propaganda through the Prague-based news site, Voice of Europe. They regularly published statements by politicians who called for the EU to stop supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. Deník N reported that Voice of Europe was no longer in operation on Wednesday evening.

According to Fiala, the Czech Security Information Service (BIS) has concluded that the network's activities "have grave consequences for the security of the Czech Republic and the EU". He added that the network's activities had also reached the European Parliament. The Czech Republic has added Voice of Europe and its alleged supporters to its sanctions list.

Spiegel also noted that the propaganda site is allegedly backed by pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarch, Viktor Medvedchuk, who is a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Medvedchuk has used Voice of Europe in several EU member states to "provide covert financial support to selected candidates in the EP elections" and to "support anti-Ukraine propaganda activities".